Layers and pricks

Just 3 months to go from this Thursday, everyone. I'm beginning to realise how much we need to think about between now and 23rd February. As if the fitness, cash and fear weren't enough to concentrate on, there's all the logistics to take into account.

Layers. On summit night alone Explore advise 8 - yes, eight - layers of clothing:

Climbing Kilimanjaro is the equivalent of trekking from the Equator to the Pole. It is essential that you have the proper equipment and clothing to ensure that you enjoy the trek and also give yourself the very best chances of reaching Uhuru Peak. After many years of trekking and reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro, we strongly recommend that you should wear the following for your summit night: Torso: you should have 8 layers of clothing covering your chest. Starting from base layer to outer shell, you should wear a long sleeve thermal underwear layer, a comfortable long sleeve shirt, a jersey, a thin fleece, a thicker fleece, and a thick waterproof and windproof outer shell that may contain a fleece lining. Yikes...I won't have been fleeced like this since being on the poker tables in Las Vegas.

Your legs: you should wear 3 layers of clothing covering your legs. Starting from your base layer to the outer layer, you should wear "long john" thermal underwear, light trekking trousers and a waterproof and windproof outer shell.

Your extremities: your head must be covered by a warm hat or balaclava and your neck should be covered by a scarf. Your hands must be covered with thick waterproof and windproof gloves. You must have thick warm socks for summit night.

Just as well we're expected to walk slowly...this is going like to be the Michelin man attempting the climbing wall on Jeux Sans Frontieres.

And then there's the pricks. We strongly recommend protection against malaria, hepatitis A, tetanus, typhoid, polio and yellow fever. Travellers may also wish to take immunisation against meningococcal meningitis.

I'll write again on Thursday about the rest of the stuff we've got to think about and organize...and. oh yes, we've got to work and live as usual too. Remind me again why we're doing this crazy thing......